


Scenting Favourites

by hazelNuts



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Oblivious Liam, Pining Mason, Post s05e02: Parasomnia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-08 01:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4285101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazelNuts/pseuds/hazelNuts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mason thought the werewolf thing was really cool at first. And a lot of the changes in Liam were for the better. He’s gotten more control over his anger. He seems happier and less tightly wound. The cockiness hasn’t improved, but Mason isn’t one to talk. He knows he isn’t much better.<br/>This is the first real downside he’s encountered.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scenting Favourites

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really bad at tagging. If you think I forgot any, please let me know in the comments.

Mason had expected Stiles to get sick of the questions. He’d expected him to give him a quick rundown of all the supernatural stuff they knew about, a short summary of all the things that had happened in Beacon Hills the past couple of years. He hadn’t expected Stiles to shove the bestiary under his nose. Or the thousands of print outs from all his nights of researching.

Stiles enthusiastically starts explaining to him all the ways that werewolves are “enhanced”. How far they can hear, the advantages of their wolf eyes, how important scent is.

‘Scent? Really?’ Mason asks.

‘Yeah,’ Stiles nods. He leaves through his research and pulls out a sheaf with a triumphant cry. ‘Ha! Here’s the little bastard. Look.’

It’s a list of all the reasons why scent is important. A very detailed list.

‘Scent marking? You mean the way dogs mark trees?’

‘No, that’s something else. That’s marking their territory. It’s further down the list. Scent marking is a way to mark you as pack. They make sure their scent is all over you like,’ Stiles taps his finger one of the bullet points on the paper, ‘clothes sharing. It’s one of the easiest ways. And you might have noticed that Liam’s started hugging you a lot more since the bite.’

He has noticed that. He’s noticed all the changes in his best friend that hadn’t made sense until now. The flinching at loud noises, the constant sniffling. The fact that he suddenly had a lot of new friends, almost overnight.

He reads through the list. Most of it make sense, like being able to smell poisonous plants, tracking, recognizing other supernatural creatures.

‘What are chemo signals?’

‘Emotions,’ Stiles explains. ‘Our emotions come from the chemicals and hormones released in our body. Weres can train themselves to recognize those emotions. It comes in handy when you’re trying to find out what someone is up to.’

‘You mean they would know someone might be about to attack because they smell angry?’ Mason asks. It’s pretty cool.

‘Could be. Or when someone is scared, you would know not to pull up the wolf face. They can also smell anxiety, happiness-‘

‘Love?’ Mason asks, suddenly anxious.

‘Yeah.’ Stiles looks at him with his brows drawn together and eyes squinting, like he’s trying to figure him out.

‘Fuck,’ Mason mutters under his breath. He’d thought the werewolf thing was really cool at first. And a lot of the changes in Liam were for the better. He’s gotten more control over his anger. He seems happier and less tightly wound. The cockiness hasn’t improved, but Mason isn’t one to talk. He knows he isn’t much better.

This is the first real downside he’s encountered. The urge to kill and maim once a month hadn’t really bothered him. Liam would never hurt him, and Scott would make sure that he was near his Beta for as long as Liam didn’t have full control yet. But if Liam could smell his emotions, then-

‘Oh,’ Stiles interrupts his train of thought, realizing the reason for Mason’s distress. ‘Well, uhm, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Liam’s still learning. He’s a terrible student. Besides if it’s not any different from how you’ve always smelled, he probably hasn’t noticed it.’

‘You think?’ Mason allows a small spark of hope.

‘Well…’

Stiles is a terrible liar.

Mason groans and buries his head in his hands while Stiles awkwardly pets him on the head in an attempt to comfort him.

~

‘Hey, Mason! Wait up!’ Liam calls out.

‘Sorry, man. I gotta go. I promised my mom I’d help her wash the car.’

‘But-‘ Liam pulls his brows together in puzzlement.

Crap, he already used that excuse a couple days ago.

‘See you later!’ He turns to walks away, but a hand on his arm stops him.

‘Are you avoiding me?’ Liam asks. His eyes are filled with questions and sadness. ‘Is it the wolf thing? I thought you were okay with that?’

‘I’m fine with it. I think it’s awesome,’ Mason assures him. A wave of affection crashes over him when he sees the relief on Liam’s face. ‘I-‘

He’s about to tell Liam that he has to go, that he’ll see him later. Later, when Liam still doesn’t realize what that scent Mason gives off is. Later, when Mason still tries to be okay with Liam not knowing. But he’s not sure he actually _is_ okay with that.

Something that Liam told him Stiles had said pops into his head: _It’s always better when they know_. Stiles probably hadn’t meant _this_ , but he was going to apply it any way.

‘What?’

Mason realizes he’s been silently staring at his friend for longer than usual. ‘I want to ask you something. Come on.’

He pulls Liam after him, into an empty stairwell. His heart is starting to beat faster and his hands are shaking when he places them on Liam’s shoulder to hold him still.

‘What do I smell like?’

Liam raises his eyebrows at the strange question. A surprised bark of laughter escapes him.

‘Seriously?’ he asks.

‘Yes. What do I smell like? What’s my scent?’

‘You smell like you. Like Mason,’ Liam shrugs.

‘You can do better than that.’

‘Are you conspiring with Stiles and Scott to give me more training?’ Liam asks, sounding suspicious. But when he sees the serious look on his friend’s face, he gives in. ‘Fine. You smell like, uhm, coconut oil and that lemon scented soap you use. You smell a little bit like me, like pack. And you smell anxious. What’s wrong?’

‘I just need you to tell me what I smell like.’

Liam brings up his hand to squeeze his shoulder and gives him a reassuring smile. ‘Okay.’

The werewolf closes his and starts taking deep breaths. His brows furrow in concentration. And then his eyes snap open.

‘You’re in love,’ Liam says, his voice sounding strained. ‘Who? Why haven’t you told me?’

Mason’s heart feels like someone’s trying to squeeze it to a pulp. This is it. He keeps his eyes trained on Liam, his hands digging into the boy’s shoulders, his heart beating double time, and then triple when Liam doesn’t figure it out. They’ve always been able to read each other’s minds, and now that link decides to stopping working, just when he really needs it. He’s going to have to say it. He pulls the words that he’s held down for so long to the surface.

‘No way,’ Liam whispers, before Mason can utter a word. His jaw drops and the bewilderment is written on every inch of his face. ‘It’s me?’

Mason nods. He digs his fingers out of Liam’s shoulders and takes a step back. Only to be pulled forward again. He stumbles and falls against Liam’s chest. It’s like stumbling into a wall. A tiny wall that smells really nice and pulls his face down to press their lips together.

The kiss is clumsy and hurried and shy, but it’s also kind of perfect, for the simple fact that he’s kissing Liam. It’s not until Mason feels nails that are a little too sharp digging into his back and teeth that are too long to be human pressing against his lips, that he pulls back.

When the last of the yellow in his eyes fades back to his own bright blue, Liam looks up at him with a shy, crooked smile.

‘I thought you liked tall athletes with eight packs?’

‘I like all athletes,’ Mason corrects him. When Liam pulls a grumpy face, he laughs and wraps an arm around his friend’s shoulders, pulling him into his side. ‘Don’t worry. You’ve always been my favourite.’

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://fandom-madnessess.tumblr.com/).


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